Saturday, Oct 22nd, Bruce Venzke & Stella Daily

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 34

WOW~! Two Triple-stacks of Grid Spanners top and bottom makes for one intimidating puzzle when you're starting out, but the resulting seven 4's, four 5's and two 6's made for a solvable, rather unique-looking grid. Bruce and Stella have combined for several Saturday bears, including one from Apr. 2009, with EIGHT spanners, and a resulting 115 comments - but before my time.

Onward ~!

ACROSS:

1. Unexpected delivery : SURPRISE PACKAGE - I get 1100 packages every day, and "NOT A WHIT" of them is a surprise - oh wait, I work at UPS....

16. War novel that became a Gary Cooper film : A FAREWELL TO ARMS

17. Cypress and others : CONIFEROUS TREES - if it has leaves, it's deciduous, and a hard wood; if it has needles, it's a softwood, and coniferous - a good rule of thumb that I just learned in Inspection class.

18. '03 retirees : SSTs - Super-Sonic Transports, like the Concorde, which I never had the chance to fly on - but living East of JFK airport, we could see one race overhead on its way to Europe on a morning or two....

19. Get ready to dry : RINSE - as in hair

20. Window shopper's buy? : PANE - good misdirection - we're not talking shoes here, just the piece of glass FOR a window

21. Nabisco trademark : OREO - this made me smile - it gave me my only Saturday "theme" puzzle a few weeks ago

23. Ring up? : HALO - ah, cute, I do like these 'punny' type clue/answers

25. Gem : STONE

28. The Oscars, e.g. : EVENT - I knew "AWARD" was the wrong word, but it made my first pass look LESS like a glass of milk in a snowstorm....see 3D

32. Start of a cheer : HIP - "Hip-hip, Hooray~!!!"

33. Numismatist's prize : MINT SET - coin collector, and their rare find

39. It has collars and stays : LAW - I had "TEE", as in shirt, even though dress shirt was a better fit; Collars as in arrests, and Stays as in executions....

40. Hoop spot : EAR - Went with "RIM", but a quick switch to EAR

41. Source of many tiny animals : ORIGAMI - because MENAGERIE didn't fit

42. Some bling : ICE - like 25A, diamonds are referred to in slang as "ice"; - combined with 40A, you get ( just "window shopping" )




43. Jazz __ : ERA

44. Fix the boundaries of : DELIMIT - Huh - I thought had "RE limit" to start, but reading my OWN blog I see that the proper word is DE limit

45. Cinnabar, vis-à-vis mercury : ORE - funny, a good friend of mine just used "vis-à-vis" on the phone yesterday, and I was mentally looking for a synonym while we were talking....

46. Western resort at 6,200 feet : TAHOE - I tried ASPEN to start

48. Suspensefully held in : BATED, like one's breath

50. Phil, for one : NLER - I was not on a baseball wavelength here, until I had NL_ _ for sure - then I realized we were talking the Phillies, and I am sure C.C. has more....

53. Annual employee review contributor : PEER - I so wanted to put BOSS in for this, but knew it was not right

55. AMA and ADA : ORGs - because ASSN was not plural

58. Chemist for whom a flask is named : DEWAR - this "W" was the last to fall, as I have never heard of 59D

60. Uses up one's minutes, and then some : GABS

64. Dissident's request : POLITICAL ASYLUM

67. Tons to do : A LOT ON ONE'S PLATE

68. Military priority : HOMELAND DEFENSE - SECURITY was one letter too many

DOWN:

1. Pollen is produced in them : SACS

2. Sci-fi vehicles : UFOs

3. Many a Lewis Black bit : RANT - here you go - (3:08) LANGUAGE

4. Break site : PRISON - another song for you~!

5. Whistling zebra? : REF - Got it, and loved it~! Works for hockey officials, too, tho they come with orange arm bands - watched eddyB's Sharks take one from the Devils here in the shoot-out - some nice goals there, and always a learning experience for this amateur goalie.

6. "If Only __ a Butterfly": Imogen Heap song : "I WERE" - WAG, but a sensible one

7. Comic intro? : SERIO - Did not know; so here we go

8. Carolina university : ELON

9. Luxurious : PLUSH

10. In a fog : AT SEA - tried "DAZED" at first

11. Simple place to rest : COT - BED, too, not as simple as COT - maybe MAT?

12. Chess champ after Fischer : KARPOV - This guy

13. __ 51 : AREA - This group, and I have linked this one before

14. Original name of the radio show "Gang Busters" : G-MEN - I am going to guess a radio show from some of our regular's childhoods, but certainly not from mine

15. Brutus's being : ESSE - Latin, "To Be"

22. Increase one's home's value, in a way : REMODEL - God, I could use more people doing this right now....

24. McCartney song inspired by a dream : LET IT BE - I love to read about the inspiration and development of individual songs, and artists like the Beatles get a lot of ink regarding their craft; for example, Paul had Scrambled Eggs for a working title to his song "Yesterday"

25. Baking aid : SHEET

26. Bride's accessory : TIARA

27. Star known by her first name : OPRAH

29. Al's nemesis : ELIOT - Ah, Al Capone, and Eliot Ness, prohibition ERA

30. Shiny shell lining : NACRE

31. Rough cloth : TWEED - ooh~! a good WAG here

34. Rage : IRE

35. Not a whit : NIL

36. __ Friday's : TGI - as in the restaurant chain with the red and white stripes

37. Filmmaker Peckinpah : SAM

38. Recording giant : EMI

47. Like some inspections : ON-SITE - and hopefully in just a few months, I will be preforming these inspections

49. Knitter's pattern : ARGYLE - and a shout-out to Santa, our Monday/Tuesday man~!

51. Minneapolis suburb : EDINA

52. Behind-the-lines job : RECON-naissance, as in enemy lines....

53. Reacted to bad news, maybe : PALED

54. Remove : ERASE

55. Shimmering swimmer : OPAH - OPRAH and OPAH in the same grid

56. Caramel-in-chocolate brand : ROLO

57. Latch (onto) : GLOM - this was my mom's word for eating too fast

59. "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" prop : WAND - I am a Harry Potter fan; did not know this was from Cinderella

61. Film composer Menken with eight Oscars : ALAN

62. Protests : BUTS

63. Hook's right hand : SMEE - nice misdirection here, with a reference to one's first mate or gal Friday - one's assistant

65. "My mama done __ me ..." : TOL' - I recall Bugs Bunny singing this in the bathtub, in my childhood - no, it was this clip @ :52

66. Letters on the beach : SPF - I had SOS to start, and then S_F, which had me baffled for a long time - I require Sun Protection Factor 100 for my pale English skin....

Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

eddyB sent me this picture. He said he took it about 1975 along San Mateo Coast. He thought it was just a nice rock formation. But there's "Indian Head" on the left side. Can you see it? I just can't. I turned the photo upside down here. Still can't see it.

Friday, October 21, 2011, Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

THEME: Acronym meets dyslexia. Each of six theme answers are two part phrases, with the the first part of each answer two letters which are reversed from a common expression. How ironic we have this brilliant offering from our own Batman and Robin, Hard G. and C.C., when I have been commenting on acronyms for the last four weeks. As a left-hander, I am forever reversing letters, so the theme jumped out at me, and off we went. A really clean offering with lots of fresh fill and cluing. Simple but exciting to come up with this many phrases.

17A. Violent comic book protesters?: DC BURNERS. Detective Comics. Like the book burners in Fahrenheit 451, nothing like the CD burners. Compact Disc creators. DC, home of Batman and Superman was the rival of Marvel, where Spiderman, Hulk and X-Men were born in Stan Lee's brain. Marvel lovers would have burned the DCs in the 70's.

26A. The wind at Chi-Town's Wrigley Field?: HR FACTOR. Home Run. Instead of RH factor. RH actually is an abbreviation of RHESUS, the type of monkey used to discover this blood immunity factor, not quite an acronym, but very cute. We humans are 85% RH positive.

33A. Flintstone receivers?: BC RADIOS. Before Christ. Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty lived 65 million BC based on their pets, while CB Radios, Citizen Band radios, did not become popular until the 60's.

45A. News agency's betting method?: AP SYSTEM. Associated Press, is not like a PA System, Public Address.

50A. Where horses box?: KO CORRAL. Knock Out, not the famous shoot out site, OK Corral,

Old Kindersley Corral, 326 East Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ85638, which is actually next to the alley where the Earps faced the Clantons etc.

64A. Pleasure craft loaded with Charmin?: TP CRUISER. Toilet Paper filling your craft, sounds pretty funny, as does the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Personal Transport. See above.

Okay let's do it!

Across:

1. Six-time French Open champ: BORG. You really should watch the HBO movie, Fire and Ice, about Borg and McEnroe then and now.

5. Perch, at times: LIMB. Little birdie on the tree limb.

9. Bucks: CLAMS. Supposedly, the ancients really used them as currency.

14. Couples choice: IRON. Really devilishly clever, as the clue refers to Freddy Couples the golfer. He captains the US President's Cup team this fall. They do not use the apostrophe so you know it is a name not something belonging to a couple.

15. Wells's Upper-worlders: ELOI. From our old favorite, The Time Machine, with Yvette Mimieux as the tasty one.

16. Sister's outfit: HABIT. Did you all watch Sally Field in the Flying Nun?

19. Clinton's boss: OBAMA. Hillary.

20. Pigeon: SAP. People taken advantage of by con-men, because they are plucked like a pigeon. I hear you, silly man.

21. Connection gizmo: ADAPTOR.

23. Country pro: FER. If.n ye ain't fer me, you agin me.

24. Big deer: ELK. In case you did not know it, the Elk, or wapiti, and the Moose, or Eurasian Elk are all in the Deer family.

28. Diet, usually: EAT LESS. It took me a moment to parse this as two words.

32. National Council __ Raza: Hispanic civil rights group: OF LA. A somewhat controversial group, LA RAZA, the Race in Spanish.

35. Bleeping official: CENSOR. I adore this clue, as it is the guy who inserts the bleeps.

39. French bath: BAIN. (rhymes with man, sort of; not rain) Our French lesson, even if we have misplaced Jeannie; salle de bain means bathroom, a phrase you need to know if you travel in certain countries; bring your own TP (see above).

40. Ultracompetitive sort: TYPE A.

42. Gaseous: Pref.: AERI. Be careful. LINK. (0:17)

43. Shout to an awardee: SPEECH. Has everyone seen The King's Speech?

47. Who's sorry now: RUER. I rue the day when they thought of this use.

49. Grand: STATELY. Like in ole Opry.

54. Bring forth, as 59-Acrosses: LAY. and 59A. See 54-Across: EGG. What I may do if I do not get this write up going soon.

55. Kerfuffle: ADO. Scottish in origin.

56. Following: RETINUE. Nowadays we call it our posse.

62. Nick of "Arthur" (2011): NOLTE. Russell Brand is no Dudley Moore. TRAILER (2:33)

66. Rice, for one: GRAIN.

67. Put in a magazine: LOAD. For your automatic weapon.

68. Sushi wrapper: NORI. Seaweed. Yummy.

69. Quarterback's accuracy, say: ASSET.

70. Name meaning "hairy" in Hebrew: ESAU. How Jacob tricked Isaac.

71. Use needles: KNIT. Did you see see the surprising guest on Regis and Kelly who knitted?

Down:

1. Nods, sometimes: BIDS. Auctions.

2. Walrus hunter: ORCA. Killer whales think walrus is sushi, even without the Nori.

3. Fictional writer on the fictional "Alan Brady Show": ROB PETRIE. Carl Reiner, Mary Tyler Moore and the incomparable DICK VAN DYKE.(1:58)

4. Bearded bovine: GNU. Who knew I would look like you?

5. Conditionally give: LEND. "Neither a borrower, nor a lender be."

6. Intestinal section : ILEA. Not to be confused with ilia; we each have only one and it is the terminal portion of the small intestine extending from the jejunum to the cecum. I bet that clears it up.

7. Change, in sci-fi: MORPH. Kafka cockroaches, anyone?

8. Casual eatery: BISTRO. More French, these developed in Paris to serve to not so wealthy.

9. Sunday number: CHORALE. Not numerical, vocal.

10. Hyde's birthplace?: LAB. Dr. Jekyll's to be precise, at least in the mind of RLS.

11. Sailor's back?: ABAFT. Did not know but it was filled by perps so I still do not.

12. Old copy: MIMEO. The lovely blue product of the mimeograph.

13. '60s Green Bay hero Bart: STARR. LINK. (1:24). The first of many great Alabama QBs, Joe Namath included.

18. Did a croupier's job: RAKED. My chips, dammit!

22. Discarded: OFF CAST. Cast off?

25. Venezuelan herder: LLANERO. Learning moment ONE.

27. Game with melding: CANASTA. Pinochle did not fit.

28. Marine retreats?.: EBBS. Nice change up for some crosswordese.

29. Put __ on: limit: A CAP. Whatever couple puts on spending, or every major sport except baseball puts on salaries.

30. Chair patter's words: SIT HERE. Nice visual, sit here my dear, heh, heh.

31. Milk source: SOY. Not COW.

34. Day __: SPA.

36. Catch sight of : SET EYES ON. Sparkly, fresh and visual.

37. '80s-'90s ace Hershiser: OREL. You know C.C.will get her BASEBALL (1:31) in.

38. Frosted: RIMY. Robert Frost liked the Rime in his rhyme.

41. Bottom line for stockholders, briefly: EPS. Earnings Per Share.

44. Juice: CURRENT. AC/DC, alternating or direct, or BOTH?(3:20)

46. Conn. school: YALE U. The abbreviation for Connecticut told you this was going to be different. Yale is in New Haven, and many relatives attended.

48. Disconcert: RATTLE. Orel Hersheiser never looked rattled on the mound.

50. Whence Roo?: KANGA. Mommy?

51. Stable emanations: ODORS. Stable like in Horse poop, not steady.

52. War adversaries since the '70s: COLAS. Pepsi vs. Coke; I am strictly a Coke guy, from my childhood soda fountain days.

53. Procedures involving suction, familiarly: LIPOS. Suctions. ewwww.

57. School sports regulatory org.: NCAA. ooh, another one, National Collegiate Athletic Association, likely to be destroyed by the super conferences.

58. Pakistani language: URDU. The nice man who works at the liquor store across from my apartment is Pakistani. Hamid.

60. Spice Girl Halliwell: GERI. SONG (3:25).

61. Pluck: GRIT. Yes, it is TRUE.

63. Sudden death cause: TIE. No dying, it is just a game; they tried to change it to sudden victory but it never caught on.

65. Publicity: INK. I wonder if LiLo believes any publicity is good publicity?

Answer grid.

A workout, but a really nice ride Time For Me To Go Until Next Friday. Fall fell, 60's at night, 70's daytime and breezy. anyone else want to come and fall in love?

ciao chow, enjoy a few words from our creators.

Lemonade

Constructors' note:

This puzzle branched off from an acronym project Don and I embarked last Thanksgiving. We originally had a few three-letter acronym conversions (PGA CHAMPIONSHIP to GPA CHAMPIONSHIP, e.g.). Rich suggested that we limit to 2-letters since the switch is easier to spot. Don thought it would be fun for solvers to get six entries in the grid by concentrating on short theme answers. The three-letter consonant clusters in DC BURNER & BC RADIOS posed some unexpected challenges in our filling process.

Thursday Oct 20, 2011 Jeff Chen

Theme: Homophone Time - The first words of the three theme entries are pronounced the same.

16A. Sniveled, "But I don't wanna!" : WHINED IN PROTEST. Vivid image.

29A. Treated like royalty : WINED AND DINED

47A. Take care of every last detail : WIND UP LOOSE ENDS. I've only used "tie up loose ends".

C.C. here. No write-up from our bubbly Marti this morning. Hope she's alright. I'll just publish a skeletal write-up and fill in my comments later. (Updated at 6:00am: all done. Thanks for the patience.)

Not our usual Thursday theme, which often features more tricks and wordplay. This one has a straightforward Monday feel, with only 3 theme entries. But the grid has a Saturday design, with only 70 words, six of which are 3-letter words.

This is second time in a row that Jeff has a grid spanner non-theme entry in his puzzle. I feel he has been experimenting and exploring new ways to spice up his grids. Additionally, like Brad Wilber, Jeff likes using single helper squares in the corners of the grid to smooth out his fill. And he always produces the smoothest fill.

Across:

1. Composes, as a telegram : TAPS OUT. Is telegram still in use?

8. Render harmless, in a way : DE-CLAW. And 10D. Critter to 8-Across, perhaps : CAT.

14. Warranty contract fig. : SERIAL NO. Nice entry.

15. Hold 'em challenge : I RAISE

18. Flagrant felonies : ARSONS

19. Moxie : GUTS

20. Puffin kin : AUK

21. Damon and others : MATTS. And a Matt Dillon.

22. Like runts : PUNY

23. River in a 1957 film title : KWAI. "The Bridge on the River Kwai".

24. What much may follow : IN AS. Inasmuch. Tough to clue this answer.

25. Indigo Girls song, e.g. : DUET

26. Fetches flies : SHAGS

27. Common starting word : MAMA. Same as Chinese.

28. Male mallards : DRAKES

33. Symbolic trees of Lebanon : CEDARS. One on their flag.

34. Days in Durango : DIAS

35. Loosely arrange : DRAPE

36. Like a soufflé : EGGY

37. Scrapple meat : PORK. Bill's favorite breakfast, Scrapple.

41. Prefix with byte : TERA. Prefix for "trillion".

42. Pantry lineup : JARS

43. Broadcast network : AIRER

44. Like the Opry? : OLE. Grand Ole Opry.

45. Brand of syrup : KARO

46. Beatles nonsense syllables : OB-LA-DI

50. Tennis great Goolagong : EVONNE. Aussie.

51. Traces : VESTIGES

52. Puts new prices on : RE-TAGS

53. He voiced curmudgeonly Carl in "Up" : ED ASNER. His name appears way too often in the bottom of the grid due to its friendly letter combination.

Down:

1. Azadi Tower city : TEHRAN. I've never heard of this tower.

2. Barry Manilow's longtime label : ARISTA

3. Some Côte-d'Or reds : PINOTS

4. Composer Saint-__ : SAENS. You've got to commit his name into memory.

5. Auto industry pioneer : OLDS

6. __-ball pens : UNI

7. Flooring joint : TONGUE AND GROOVE. A delight for Splynter! Any good anagram on this entry, Jerome?

8. Unsportsmanlike : DIRTY

9. Piccadilly Circus statue : EROS

11. Stare at the ceiling, maybe : LIE AWAKE. I don't. Solid 8 hours of sleep.

12. Eased : ASSUAGED

13. Sloppy greeting from a puppy : WET KISS. Here is how to say "I love you" in Cantonese. Love George Lam. "Wo Ai Ni" is Mandarin spelling. Ni becomes "Ney" in Cantonese.

14. Guru : SWAMI

17. Give up the ball : PUNT

22. Tawny predator : PUMA

23. Kublai __ : KHAN. Grandson of Genghis Khan.

25. A&W competitor : DADS

26. Hindu titles : SRIs

27. __ mortals : MERE

28. Time for action : D-DAY

29. TV roving reporter's opening : WE'RE LIVE. Great answer.

30. Words of reluctance : I DARE NOT. Another nice one. Multi-word entries are always preferable.

31. County with grapes on its seal : NAPA

32. Finds cool, man : DIGS

33. Storage for jewel cases : CD TOWER. History.

36. British peer : EARL

37. Offer to a bunch of hitchhikers : PILE IN (Note: Argyle answered my question earlier.)

38. Valencia, for one : ORANGE

39. Not as well-done : REDDER

40. __ Kringle : KRISS

42. Makes fun of : JAPES

43. Picks the locks for, perhaps : ABETS. Oh, no hair locks today?

45. "__ Fu Panda": 2008 animated film : KUNG. Jackie Chan is also an enduring figure in Cantonpop (Cantonese Pop Music).

46. Greek high point : OSSA. Mt Ossa.

48. It was Genentech's stock ticker symbol, aptly : DNA. Very wise for them to pick the symbol.

49. 20-volume ref. : OED

Answer grid.

C.C.

Wendesday Oct 19, 2011 Jack McInturff

Theme: I'VE GOT A SECRET (59. Long-running game show, and a hint to the starts of 20-, 28-, 37- and 51-Across :) - Secret can precede the first word of each common phrase.

20A. Add-on for a large party's tab : SERVICE CHARGE. Secret Service.

28A. Even thieves have one, it's said : CODE OF HONOR. Secret code.

37A. Largest city in California's wine country : SANTA ROSA. Secret Santa.

51A. Nickname seen on a Northeast license plate : GARDEN STATE. Secret Garden.

As Alan Sues once started his weekly quips on Laugh-In, "Boomer Here".

Keeping in mind that I am not the super solver that some of you are, this puzzle challenged me a bit, but I thought it was pretty workable. At first I wanted to put something like twenty per cent for 20A, guilty conscience for the thieves. I have a sister in Santa Rosa, and I've seen NJ Garden State plates. Once I got to Garry Moore's "I've Got a Secret" after a few down clues, things fell into place. Then I spent ten minutes trying to remember who was on the panel of "I've got a secret". I remembered Bill Cullen and deadpan Henry Morgan. I think a lot of other guest stars rotated.

Across:

1. Black Panthers co-founder : SEALE (Bobby) - The other guy was Malcolm X?

6. Sprightly dances : JIGS

10. What race winners break : TAPE - They also break ribbons, records, and sometimes a foot.

14. Flip chart stand : EASEL - A frequent crossword entry

15. "Typee" continuation : OMOO - I believe this was the sorority in "Revenge of the Nerds"

16. Fancy molding : OGEE - Another frequent crossword. I sometimes say "O Gee" when I leave a ten pin. Sometimes I use four different letters.

17. First name in British sports cars : ASTON - James Caan drives an Aston Martin in "Las Vegas".

18. Freshness : SASS

19. River to the Caspian : URAL

23. Deposed Amin : IDI - Many changes going on in the world

24. Siesta : NAP

25. In the lead : AHEAD - Sometimes by a head, other times just a nose

33. No-win situation : TIE

34. Banjo's place : KNEE - Oh Susanna! Don't you cry for me

35. Age-old stories : LORE - The thing I like best about folklore is all the BS that gets added to it as it is passed down through the ages.

36. Sphere : ORB

42. Classic Capek play : RUR - I'm not so sure about Classic. I've never heard of it

45. In fighting trim : LEAN - mean machine

46. Chachi's mother-in-law, to Fonzie : MRS. C - Who would have thought Henry Winkler would come up with a crossword. AAYYYYYYY!

50. Outback runner : EMU - A member of the sorority in "Revenge of the Nerds".

55. Fruity soda brand : FANTA - I had Crush in there for a while.

57. King at Versailles : ROI - Is this RO the first?

58. Down-for-the-count count : TEN - Lots of ways to clue 10. I like number of pins to knock over for a strike

64. Cures : TANS - Sorry, I didn't get this one

66. Rugged vehicles : UTES - Or this one. I thought Utes were a nomadic tribe. Maybe they drove Humvees?

67. Writer Zora __ Hurston : NEALE

68. Sweeten the pot a little? : ANTE - Well, the pot starts with ante. The sweetening doesn't start till you see the twenty and raise fifty.

69. One and only : LONE - How about Ranger with a mask. Clayton Moore - Could have been on opposite Garry Moore, and his identity was secret. Hi Ho Silver!

70. More pleasant : NICER

71. Axe : BOOT - Donald Trump's Apprentice, or what the Vikings need to do with McNabb.

72. Hang in the balance : PEND

73. Jays and O's : ALers - ALers and NLers Series starts tonight. Good luck Albert!

Down:

1. Wishing one hadn't rocked the boat? : SEASICK

2. Entered carefully, as a highway : EASED ON - I had eased in. Then I eased on some Wite-Out to fix.

3. With a leg on each side of : ASTRIDE

4. Pope of 903 : LEO V - At first I thought Love was spelled wrong. In spite of popular opinion, I was not alive when Leo the fifth was pope.

5. Periodic weather disruption : EL NINO - I own an El Nino, Storm bowling ball from the late nineties, and a darn good one.

6. Crèche figure : JOSEPH - Didn't know Creche was the Nativity scene. Had to Google it. Is that Cheating??

7. Apple for the teacher? : iMAC - I get it, My first computer was an Apple IIe. Technology has passed me by now.

8. Mild oath : GOSH - Left another ten pin

9. Wrigley slugger : SOSA - I'm pretty good at baseball clues. Got Sammy right away.

10. "Not my problem" : TOUGH

11. Go along with : AGREE TO

12. Whistle bead : PEA - I think they just put little round plastic things in now

13. Fish lacking pelvic fins : EEL - not sure an eel is a fish.

21. Half-__: coffee order : CAF - And not too good. I like full strength

22. Some steak orders : RARES - Rare is an adjective. Don't like to see it plural, but I'll let it go this time. Don't let it happen again.

26. Go public with : AIR - or Bill Cosby's famous skit - "Why is there air?"

27. New girl in gown? : DEB

29. Some Caltech grads : EEs - Electrical Engineers? or just erstwhile eggheads?

30. "__ of Our Birth": Isle of Man national anthem : O LAND. Here.

31. Negative conjunction : NOR

32. Some Spanish escudos were made of it : ORO - We used to use this as an acronym for Our records only. Now it probably is a hashtag on Twittter.

38. Pond accumulation : ALGAE - AKA Scum

39. PBS benefactor : NEA

40. Blacktop material : TAR

41. Tbsp. or tsp. : AMT

42. Yellow-flag carrier : REF - I'm so old I remember when they used bright pinkish red.

43. Emma's portrayer in "The Avengers" : UMA - Another sorority sister in "Revenge of the Nerds."

44. Chance upon : RUN INTO

47. Wearying grind : RAT RACE - Until one breaks the Tape, or the other breaks a foot.

48. Joe Greene or Lynn Swann, notably : STEELER - Another easy clue for me.

49. Focal points : CENTERS - or the guys in front of Bradshaw. Hut hut

52. Wiped clean : ERASED

53. Calculator figs. : NOs.

54. Crayola's "burnt" color : SIENNA - Orange didn't fit.

56. Soap box? : TV SET - Soaps aren't doing so hot any more. I think they were originally called soap operas because the sponsors were soaps. (DUZ duz everything). Now I guess most daytime shows are car insurance operas.

60. Chug-a-lug : GULP - A big one at 7 - 11

61. Platte River tribe : OTOE

62. Grand Ole Opry st. : TENN - Good Grief, I've been to the Opry. I was trying to remember what STREET ! it was on. Duh. Even a caveman knows it's in Tennessee.

63. Put a roof on : CEIL

64. Key below the tilde : TAB

65. Diciembre ends it : ANO - This is either Spanish or something is spelled wrong.

Answer grid.

Have a great day!

Boomer - Hmmmmm

"When I get older, losing my hair, just a few days from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine, Birthday greetings, bottle of wine.
If I had been out till quarter of three, Will you lock the door.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64".

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Sometime in the 60's

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Romeo and Juliet visit NYC - The 1961 film musical.

25A. Locations of some scenes in 61-/64-/66-Across : ALLEY WAYS

40A. Song from 61-/64-/66-Across : AMERICA. L.Bernstein - West Side Story - AMERICA - studio-takes.(5:00)

43A. With 54-Across, 61-/64-/66-Across composer : LEONARD

54A. See 43-Across : BERNSTEIN

3D. Song from 61-/64-/66-Across : I FEEL PRETTY. This song(3:24) was dubbed by Marni Nixon.

29D. Co-star of 61-/64-/66-Across : NATALIE WOOD

61A. With 64- and 66-Across, film that premiered in New York City 10/18/1961 : WEST. 64A. See 61-Across : SIDE. 66A. See 61-Across : STORY

Argyle here. Buon giorno. Are you a Shark or a Jet? This grid doesn't look like a Tuesday. Two long Downs that intersect two and three theme entries, respectively. First and last names, albeit the composer is in two spots. And then there's the fill. Some obscure sports that's sure to put some off. It is tough but well done, IMHO.

Across:

1. Leap of __ : FAITH

6. Anesthetize : NUMB

10. Cager O'Neal, to fans : SHAQ. Basketball.

14. Prefix with red : INFRA

15. Melville novel : OMOO. Sequel to Typee.

16. Ginormous : HUGE

17. Negro Leagues legend Buck : O'NEIL. Card.

18. Red planet : MARS

19. Mimicked : APED

20. "Go jump in the loch!" : "NAE!"

21. SFO posting : ETA. San Francisco International Airport.

23. The other guys : THEM

28. Creatures of habit? : NUNS

31. Le Carré character : SPY. During the 1950s and the 1960s, John Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré". His third novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963) became an international best-seller and remains one of his best known works. Following the novel's success, he left MI6 to become a full-time author.

32. 1998 British Open champ Mark : O'MEARA. Golf.

34. E. Coast ocean : ATLantic

36. "Queen of Country" McEntire : REBA

38. On topic : THEMATIC

44. Get far ahead of : OUTSTRIP

46. Kazakhstan border sea : ARAL. Map

47. Hobbyist's buy : KIT

48. Big-time brat : TERROR

50. Alter unfairly : RIG

52. Baseball's Sandberg : RYNE. Card.

57. It's spoken in Karachi : URDU. Karachi map.

59. Equi- equivalent : ISO

60. Attempt to win over : WOO

68. Freeway off-ramp : EXIT

69. Lena or Ken of Hollywood : OLIN

70. In unison : AS ONE

71. Shaped like Hummers : BOXY. A long box. Hummer limo.

72. Editor's "leave it" : STET

73. Long-extinct birds : DODOs. I know where there is one left.

Down:

1. "Shrek" princess : FIONA

2. Chronological records : ANNALS

4. Bi- plus one : TRI

5. "Roots" writer Alex : HALEY

6. Polite refusal : "NO MA'AM"

7. Thurman of "Gattaca" : UMA. Not a film I'm familiar with.

8. Comedian known for political humor : MORT SAHL. Another complete name.

9. "Balderdash!" : "BOSH!"

10. SeaWorld orca : SHAMU

11. Drillmaster's bark : "HUP!"

12. Census statistic : AGE

13. Proof-ending letters : QED. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

22. Small, as farms go : TWO ACRE. I guess; I've seen lawns bigger than that!

24. Win over : ENAMOR

26. Watchful ones : EYERs. Clunker of the day?

27. "Is it soup __?" : YET. No, but it's déjà vu. Very similar to Oct. 3 clue/answer.

30. Begin to move : STIR

33. Gains again, as trust : RE-EARNS

35. Watch readout abbr. : LCD

37. Like the taste of aspirin : BITTER

39. "Excellence is __ won by training and habituation": Aristotle : AN ART

40. Just ducky : A-OK

41. Conservationist on California's state quarter : MUIR. John.

42. Lacking a solid foundation : AIR-BUILT. As, an air-built castle.

45. Opposite of post- : PRE

49. Get situated : ORIENT

51. Day, in Roma : GIORNO

53. Off one's trolley : NUTTY

55. "What a pity" : "SO SAD"

56. British poet Alfred : NOYES. I call on Clear Ayes again.

58. RAF decorations : DSOs. Distinguished Service Orders.

61. Spider's lair : WEB

62. Prefix with morph : EXO

63. HBO's "__ Feet Under" : SIX

65. Vegas roller : DIE

67. Chinese menu general : TSO

Answer grid.

Argyle

Question from C.C.:

Does anyone know how to stop my computer from scripting? It always freezes up the computer. I'm using Firefox as browser. Thanks.

Interview with Kelly Clark

Argyle said he "was struck by the imagery and the lack of abbreviations and yet still a doable Monday" for Kelly Clark's "Ouch" puzzle in June. We both adored Kelly's "Birds Do It" grid so much that we continued our discussions of her effort after the blog post was published.

Besides constructing for the LA Times, Kelly has also made puzzles for the NY Times (13 published) and the Wall Street Journal. Kelly constructed puzzle #1 for the 2011 ACPT (American Crossword Puzzle Tournament).

Both of your LAT puzzles we had this year have five theme entries: three Acrosses (one in central row) & two Downs, and a bonus 1-Across entry. Is that your preferred puzzle style? Is 1-Across an afterthought in the filling process or pre-arranged at the beginning of the gridding?

In the first one, it was an afterthought, to be honest. I'd finished the fill and realized it might be fun to have a sort of "intro" at 1 Across. Since 1 Across was a four letter word, it was pretty easy to work OUCH into it and refill the corner. In the August 22 puzzle, the 1 Across CHIRP was deliberate. In fact, I'd originally had TWEET as the final Across answer, but had to let it go after making the changes Rich asked for. Between you and me -- everybody shut your eyes for this part ;-) -- Rich was the soul of patience with me during the August 22 puzzle construction. According to my records, it took four versions to get it right. Okay, everybody can open their eyes now. ;-) Seriously, Rich is a fantastic editor. He's also a fantastic constructor.

To answer the other part of your question, though, yes...I like to incorporate a central theme entry whenever possible.

What's your background? How did you get into crossword construction?

My husband and I own a small advertising/design studio. He's the designer, I'm the copywriter. I got into crossword construction primarily to entertain my fellow parishioners in our weekly bulletin. This was back in the late 1990s. 'Course I soon realized I didn't know what I was doing, and fortunately stumbled upon Kevin McCann's incredible forum. I was mentored by the whole group...primarily, the great Manny Nosowsky. My first puzzle -- which took me *months* to construct -- ran in the New York Times in 1997.

What kind of themes and fill fascinate you and what kind do you try to avoid?

Until recently, I'd been fascinated with "trick" themes...generally Wednesday/Thursday level types. And puns...I love puns!

But about a year ago I realized I'd never even attempted a Monday-level puzzle and really wanted to make one. That's when I realized how difficult it is to construct an easy puzzle. Will bought my first Monday puzzle, but then ended up using it as the opener for the ACPT last spring. Rich bought and published my very first Monday puzzle last June...it was like a dream
come true!

Which part do you normally spend the most time in the construction process: theme brainstorming, gridding or cluing? Which part do you enjoy the most?

Oh, theme brainstorming, no question. That's the most time-consuming -- and for me, the most enjoyable -- part of the game. It's very stimulating. Filling the puzzle, on the other hand, is fun in a different kind of way...oddly enough, it's very relaxing for me.

What's the most proud puzzle you've made and why?

That's a toughie! I'd have to say I'm proudest of the June 20 LA Times puzzle, since it was my first Monday puzzle. Tied with that, though, is my debut New York Times puzzle of Wednesday, October 29, 1997.

What puzzles do you solve every day? And whose byline do you most look forward to?

The New York Times and the LA Times, daily. I love Merl Reagle's Sunday puzzles, along with those of Henry Hook and Cox & Rathvon -- they run in the Boston Sunday Globe Magazine. My favorite constructors are Manny Nosowsky, Rich Norris (these two guys haven't been seen for awhile and I miss them!), Harvey Estes, Nancy Salomon, Paula Gamache -- gosh, there's too many to list!

Besides crossword, what else do you do for fun?

I love to walk. I live in Boston and it's a walking town. My idea of a good time is tromping mindlessly along the streets. I like to speed walk, too. I love working with my husband -- advertising is fun! And I read a lot. But my great joy is working as a volunteer chaplain at Mass General Hospital a few afternoons a week.

Monday, October 17, 2011 Kelly Clark

Theme: What's in a nit? - That which we call a nit by any other name might be described by the last word of our four themed entries.

20A. "The sky is falling!" critter : CHICKEN LITTLE

33A. Seven-time winner of the Daytona 500 : RICHARD PETTY

41A. Like Chopin's "Funeral March," keywise : IN B FLAT MINOR

57A. New Orleans daily, with "The" : TIMES-PICAYUNE

Fat-fingered Argyle here. I don't see any imagery in the grid as I did with the first two puzzles I parsed by Ms. Clark, which some of you will be glad to know. Just a straightforward Monday to start the week.

Across:

1. Prepare, as apples for pie : PARE

5. Dirt bike relatives, briefly : ATVs

9. Dressed like a judge : ROBED

14. "Jeopardy!" first name : ALEX

15. Actress Perlman : RHEA

16. Get the lead out? : ERASE

17. Bossa __ : NOVA

18. Blurted out : SAID

19. Full of attitude : SASSY

23. Get the lead out : HASTEN

24. Visits, as a doctor : SEEs

25. Cock and drake : HEs. I'd like to know who started this plural HE business.

28. Suffix with dextr- : OSE

29. Snapshot, for short : PIC

31. One who doesn't have much laundry to do? : NUDIST

36. Modest skirt length : MIDI. Add a thigh high slit and it isn't modest anymore! Image.

39. Have a life : ARE

40. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE

46. Enjoyed the rink : SKATED

47. Letters before xis : NUs. More of the Greek letters thingie.

48. Neg.'s opposite : POS.

51. Air France flier until 2003 : SST

52. Election Day: Abbr. : TUES

55. Stymie, as plans : THWART

60. Kitchen strainer : SIEVE

62. "Love Songs" poet Teasdale : SARA. Clear Ayes?

63. Alda or Arkin : ALAN

64. Like flawed mdse. : IRREG.

65. Slices of history : ERAs

66. Jackson 5 brother : TITO

67. Boss's privilege : SAY SO

68. Hawaii's state bird : NENE. "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille."

69. Most affordable golf purchases : TEEs. A lot of golf clubs won't allow tee shirts; you must have a collared shirt.

Down:

1. Mexican Villa : PANCHO. Mucho bad hombre. Pancho and Lefty.(4:45)

2. Hawaiian hello and goodbye : ALOHAs

3. Edit : REVISE

4. Not off by even a hair : EXACT

5. "__ and Old Lace" : ARSENIC

6. Comparative word : THAN

7. Bridal coverings : VEILS

8. __ Hawkins Day : SADIE

9. Gathers strength for a big day : RESTS UP

10. Taken with a spoon : ORAL

11. Singles, on a diamond : BASE HITS

12. Tricky road bend : ESS

13. Susan of "L.A. Law" : DEY

21. Foreign Legion cap : KEPI

22. Be inclined (to) : TEND

26. O.T. book named for a woman : ESTH. ESTHer.

27. Eyelid problem : STYE

30. Casual talk : CHAT

32. Sugarpie : DEAR

33. Break in friendship : RIFT

34. Business end of a slot machine : ARM

35. Bridle strap : REIN

36. Be nostalgic for : MISS

37. Tattooist's supplies : INKS

38. Common flashlight power source : D BATTERY

42. "Hands off!" : "LET ME GO!"

43. For two voices together, in scores : A DUE

44. One with a screw loose : NUT CASE

45. Fed. workplace monitor : OSHA

48. Talking parrot voiced by Jay Mohr : PAULIE. Trailer.(1:06)

49. Showily decorated : ORNATE

50. Shorthand pros : STENOs

53. Krupp Works city : ESSEN. Not related to Krups Coffee Makers and Espresso Machines, Krupp Works made an assortment of naval guns and field artillery pieces for Germany in WW II. In 1999, the Krupp Group merged with its largest competitor, Thyssen AG; the combined company—ThyssenKrupp AG, became Germany's fifth-largest firm and one of the largest steel producers in the world. (Wikipedia)

54. Flat replacement : SPARE

56. Lawman Earp : WYATT

58. Folk singer Burl : IVES. Burl had his own nit here. A Little Bitty Tear.(2:04)

59. Persian Gulf nation : IRAN

60. Bro's sib : SIS

61. Tax shelter initials : IRA

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday Oct 16, 2011 Gareth Bain

Theme: "Give it Some Gas" - HE (symbol for helium) is pumped into each common phrase.

23A. *Dishonest kegler? : ALLEY CHEAT. Alley cat. Both clue and answer made me laugh.

33A. *Inane Laconian serf? : VACANT HELOT. Vacant lot. Helot = Greek slave.

49A. *Where to see historic tickers? : HEART MUSEUM. Art museum.

67A. *Treat one's stye? : BATHE AN EYELID. Bat an eyelid.

90A. *Fights during breathing exercises? : YOGA CLASHES. Yoga class.

103A. *Broadway tykes? : THEATER TOTS. Tater tots. Inspired theme entry.

119A. *Throw tennis star Sharapova? : HEAVE MARIA. Grunting. Good luck heaving! Ave Maria.

16D. *Where you might hear "Oy vey! I need a drink!"? : HEBREW PUB. Brew pub.

80D. *When mildly amusing sitcoms air? : TEHEE TIME. Tee time.

98D. Light element, and a hint to how the answers to starred clues have been inflated : HELIUM

A nice mixture of HE inflation, some are inserted in the start, some in the end, some in the middle.

Notice the longest non-theme entries have 8 letters only? That's because Gareth's shortest theme entry has 9 letters and it's generally not allowed to have non-theme answers longer than the shortest theme entries. The exception is when he puts all the theme entries Across, then he has freedom for Downs. With 9 theme entries and a unifier, I think he has the best arrangement.

This is Gareth Bain's first Sunday puzzle. And he finally hits for the cycle, having had a puzzle published in every day of the week by the LA Times. Congratulations!

Across:

1. Sassy : PERT. Easy start.

5. Judge's decrees : DICTA. Plural of dictum.

10. Vena __ : CAVA

14. Iranian faith : BAHA'I

19. "In the Valley of __": 2007 film : ELAH. Tommy Lee Jones/Charlize Theron film. I've never seen it.

20. Lots of lots : ACRES. Different "lots" in meaning.

21. Fictional coward : LION. I wanted NOEL, but he's a real Coward.

22. Oboists' section : REEDS

25. Chief Norse god : ODIN

26. Park place : ARBOR. We also have: 63. __ Arbor, Michigan : ANN. Tiny dupe.

27. Move sneakily : TIPTOE

28. Mystic's deck : TAROT

30A. 108-Down on a screen : CURSOR. And 108D. It shows the way : ARROW. I like the 4 pairs of cross-references in today's clues. Hate when clues cross-references but actually no clue is given. Not fair.

32. Style with layers : SHAG. Hair style.

35. Org. with a WasteWise program : EPA. Toured our city water plant yesterday. I think I'll stick to my bottled water.

38. "__ Touch This": MC Hammer hit : U CAN'T. Earworm. Ditto "Can I touch you there?"

40. Job listing initials : EEO

41. They're hard to read : SCRAWLS

43. Rolls gas : PETROL. Rolls Royce.

46. Grooves in boards : DADOs. You want beautiful deck stairs like these? Look no further than your Saturday puzzle sherpa here at the Corner.

48. Key letters : KAPPAS. And 4D. Eighth of 24 : THETA. Greek letters.

52. Pride youngster : CUB

54. Overzealous bather? : PRUNE. Your fingers get wrinkled when you over-bathe.

55. Other, to Ortega : OTRA

56. "__ porridge in the pot ..." : PEASE

57. 2000s drama set in Newport Beach : THE OC. Made Mischa Barton a household name.

59. U.K. decorations : OBEs

60. Foreign correspondent? : PEN PAL. Saw this clue before.

62. Lab specimen : SMEAR. Pab smear, for example.

64. Question of time : WHEN

66. Many Soc. Sec. recipients : SRs

71. Six-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Van Dyken : AMY. 4 from 1996, a la Wiki.

75. ___ mail : SNAIL

76. Terhune's Lad, e.g. : COLLIE. Learned his "Lad: A Dog" from doing Xword.

78. Renaissance family name : ESTE

81. Day break? : NIGHT. Night and day.

84. Slight incision : SNICK. This is a new word to me.

86. Scintilla : IOTA

87. Stinks : REEKS

89. Sound during a drive? : MOO. Cattle drive. "Sound after a drive?" would be "FORE!". Quite dangerous when someone shanks.

92. Bounces back : ECHOES

94. Animal on Wyoming's flag : BISON. True.

96. Range in Utah : UINTAS. Uintas Mountains. New to me also.

97. Non-roaring big cat : CHEETAH. Did not know cheetahs don't roar.

99. Onetime Beatle Sutcliffe : STU

100. Alt. announcers : CAPTs (Captains). Altitude.

102. China's Mao __-tung : TSE. My dad could recite every word of "The Little Red Book". I miss him.

106. Series ender : ET AL

110. Govt. securities : T-BILLS. Or T-Bonds.

112. 30th anniversary gift : PEARL

113. Like some dress patterns : FLORAL Very nice bag.

115. Not from here : ALIEN

117. High-tech tablet : iPAD

121. Asian menu promise : NO MSG. Chinese dumplings taste so much better with MSG. Right, Jayce?

122. Golden State sch. : UCLA

123. "Macbeth" (1948) director Welles : ORSON

124. Auctioneer's word : SOLD!

125. 74-Across numbers : DUETS. 74A. Two twos, say : PAIR

126. Mint leaver, often : MAID. Read it as "Mint leaves".

127. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTAS

128. "__ the night ..." : 'TWAS

Down:

1. Organic fuel : PEAT

2. New York Bay's __ Island : ELLIS

3. __ Waldo Emerson : RALPH

5. Freshwater fish : DACE. Looks like small carp. We eat carp in China.

6. Frau's "I" : ICH

7. Iraklion native : CRETAN. Iraklion is the same as Heraklion? Capital of Crete.

8. It incited a 1773 party : TEA ACT. Tried TEA TAX first.

9. Stars of old Rome : ASTRA

10. Stopped bleeding : CLOTTED

11. Help : AID

12. Express : VOICE

13. Invalidates : ANNULS

14. Part of a support system? : BRA STRAP. Nice clue/answer. And 85D. Bikini sizes : C-CUPs. 36 C, if you're curious.

15. Dynamic opening? : AERO. Aerodynamic.

17. Big stink : ADO

18. Six-Day War victor: Abbr. : ISR

24. Food made from cultures : YOGURT. With good bacteria. Probiotics.

29. Witching hr. follower : ONE AM

31. Gibraltar landmark : ROCK

33. Assessor's decision : VALUE

34. Homemade tipple : HOOCH. Moonshine.

36. Superman look-alike, evidently : PLANE. Evidently!

37. Jacks and jennies : ASSES

39. Kvetch : COMPLAIN. Constructive kvetching is always welcome.

42. Golf green border : APRON. I just call it fringe. You, Husker Gary?

43. Prokofiev's wolf catcher : PETER

44. Pulls down : EARNS

45. Ruse : TRAP

46. 90 degrees : DUE EAST

47. Mystery novelist Grafton : SUE

49. Brewery flavoring : HOPS

50. Accessory often worn diagonally : SASH

51. Salinger heroine : ESME

53. Pitch : baseball :: __ : cricket : BOWL. No baseball for Gareth. Cricket, yes!

57. Quisling's crime : TREASON

58. Lighthearted genre about womanhood : CHICK LIT

61. Litigator's org. : ABA

65. Tokyo, once : EDO

68. In good condition : TRIM

69. Hip-hop's __ Yang Twins : YING

70. "A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig" essayist : ELIA. "A Dissertation Upon Roast Lamb" sounds better.

71. Hello or good-bye : ALOHA

72. Teeny parasites : MITES

73. Votes for : YEAs

74. Sri Lankan export : PEKOE

77. Bullets may be seen on one : LIST

78. Posture-perfect : ERECT

79. Vier + zwei : SECHS (Six). Vier = 4. Zwei= 2. Just for Kazie and Spitzboov.

82. Lump : GOB

83. Lifting apparatus : HOIST

88. Microwave choices : SETTINGS

90. With 107-Down, words to a goner : YOU'RE. And 107. See 90-Down : TOAST. Nice way to save a partial.

91. Canonized Archbishop of Canterbury : ANSELM. No idea.

93. Humorist Mort : SAHL. Consonant/vowel/consonant/consonant combo makes this 4-letter name extremely popular in crossword.

95. Mike Brady, to Carol's girls : STEP DAD

100. Pie-making aids : CORERS

101. "Finally!" : AT LAST

104. Pound-watching org. : ASPCA

105. Reno-__ Intl. Airport : TAHOE

109. With 118-Down, 2000s boxing champ : LAILA. 118D. See 109-Down : ALI.

111. Tops : BEST

113. Low wetlands : FENS

114. Boys : LADS

115. "Wait, there's more ..." : AND

116. Singer Reed : LOU

120. U.S. govt. broadcaster : VOA. They're ending Mandarin & Cantonese language broadcast this month. Budge cut. Sad.

Answer grid.

C.C.

PS: Sorry, Jazzbumpa, another Young outshined yours last night.